This new variety of lily plant originated as a seedling selected from a group of seedlings planted by me at Sandy, Oreg., and resulting from crossing of the clonal cultivar `Connecticut Red` as the seed parent with the clonal cultivar `Lovesong` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,178). The objective of this crossing was the production of lilies in shades of red well suited to forcing for cut flower production out of season, heretofore unknown in the lily breeding art, and the selected seedling appeared to me to be a satisfactory example of my said objective.
The flowers of this new lily are characterized by large size, broad tepalled form, upright orientation, and a rich, deep red color accented by a glossy sheen, thereby providing a color pattern unique in this type of lily. This selected seedling was asexually reproduced by me at Sandy, Oreg., with such satisfactory results that extensive reproduction was carried on under my direction at Sandy, Oreg., through successive generations by bulb scale propagation and by natural propagation from bulblets, which demonstrated that the novel and distinctive characteristics of this new variety would hold true under asexual propagation from generation to generation and appeared to be firmly fixed. This new plant has been found to be well suited to forcing out of season when the bulbs are dug at the appropriate time and properly precooled; October-dug bulbs, properly precooled and potted in January, will flower under glass in Western Oregon, with no supplementary lighting and at moderate greenhouse temperatures, in an average of 75 to 85 days. The clone possesses to a high degree the desirable characteristics of hybrid vigor, great hardiness and disease resistance, its large flowers being produced on a single stalk. The clone is a virorous, good grower, and a good propagator as observed at Sandy, Oreg.